It’s easy to understand why McLaren driver Oscar Piastri wasn’t overly thrilled at the end of the Italian Grand Prix.
After starting on the front row of the grid alongside teammate Lando Norris, the Australian was ahead before the end of the first lap and had a slender lead over Charles Leclerc.
The first round of pit stops saw Oscar Piastri’s advantage increase but a fateful second stop – that was deemed unnecessary by Ferrari – denied the young driver his second Grand Prix victory.
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Piastri admitted after the race that he was surprised by Ferrari’s speed but he was also well aware that McLaren’s self-sabotaged a potential one-two finish, partly due to his own aggression on the first lap.
He compromised Norris’s exit from the Roggia chicane, allowing Leclerc to pass and denying McLaren control of the Grand Prix.
Speaking after the race to the media, Piastri explained his efforts to try and catch Leclerc once he changed his tyres for the final time.

He wasn’t stuck behind the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz for too long but didn’t make the necessary progression.
Piastri criticised the impact of Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll in his efforts to try and retake the lead of the race.
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He wasn’t particularly complimentary about the Canadian who managed the tricky feat of finishing the race behind both Sauber cars.
Oscar Piastri unhappy with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll after the Italian Grand Prix
Asked whether he thought the gap was too much to catch Leclerc after his second pit stop, Piastri said: “I thought it would be tough but I thought it would be possible.
“With the pace I had at the start, I think I was catching [at] nearly two seconds per lap.
“I had a few people who weren’t very helpful, Stroll was driving like he was in his first go-kart race, so that cost a couple of seconds.
“Just a bit painful, but I think we needed everything to go right on that last set of hards and ultimately it just wasn’t enough.”
Martin Brundle shares how he thinks Oscar Piastri sees Lando Norris’s title challenge
McLaren introduced papaya rules to the world with their radio messages during the Italian Grand Prix.
The team allowed Norris and Piastri to race but were unlikely to have expected the Australian to dive down the inside of their lead driver after negotiating the tricky first chicane.
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Martin Brundle shared how he thinks Piastri sees Norris’s title challenge as despite Max Verstappen failing to come close to challenging for a podium, his lead in the Drivers’ Championship remains above 60 points.
Piastri is racing for himself in Monza which is understandable if McLaren haven’t told him his job for the rest of the year is to support Norris.
That decision may end up costing McLaren the chance to win both titles as there are no guarantees they’ll be in this position again next year.
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